Demon's Affair
by OrigamiDragon
Summary: After the death of Gorgrog, things ended happily for everyone. Kendra and Seth went back to school. Fablehaven was being rebuilt. But was everything really taken care of? An angry demon is plotting revenge. A new heroine has stepped into play. What darkness waits to consume us all?
1. A Need For Nature

******A Need for Nature**

When we were young, we believed in magic. Everyone did. I did. But as we age, we stop believing. But I didn't. Call me crazy, but I know it's real. It's easy to believe. All you have to do is open your eyes.

The Summer before 11th Grade

I stared, deep in thought, at the butterflies clustered by a bowl of milk on the ground. It sure was odd to have a bowl of milk lying around. Maybe Kendra's grandparents have a cat.

"Hey Kendra, why is there a bowl of milk just lying there?" I questioned my best friend.

"Kendra hesitated for a second before saying," I don't know."

"Yes you do!" I teased. "I could see it in your expression."

"I seriously don't!" she said giggling a little as she noticed I was teasing.

I brushed my dark, brown hair out of my face and tugged on a loose thread on my shirt. Kendra slumped against the top step on the porch. I was so bored ever since I arrived here at her grandparents' house. It was kind of Kendra to invite me here for the summer before the last year of high school, but I thought I was able to do more things like take a walk through the forest. I wonder why we're not allowed to leave the yard. What's the point of owning so much land if you're never going to use it? I don't care if it's dangerous. I bet I would probably die from boredom, rather than getting slaughtered by a wild animal.

Kendra looked over at me. She could tell I was bored. I'm horrible when it comes to hiding my emotions.

"Hazel, how about we hang out at the pool?" she suggested.

"Sure," I said.

We both slowly picked ourselves up and headed inside. Right as I turned the doorknob, the door swung out towards me, and I practically fell off the porch. Suddenly, Seth barreled out of the door wearing green swimming trunks and a towel draped around his neck like a scarf.

"Oh hey, I'm going to the pool. Wanna come?" the 14-year-old offered.

"We were just going there," Hazel said.

"Well, I'll meet you there then," Seth said and dashed off to the pool.

"We'll be there in a few minutes!" Kendra called after him.

I watched him run off for a few seconds before going inside to change. That kid was always energetic. I'm sure he would understand my longing for the forest. As I walked up the attic stairs, I saw Kendra look down and smile at me for a split second. I'm sure she wouldn't care much for adventure like I would.

"Hazel?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure seem quiet today. It's not like you," she said as her face morphed from happy to concern.

Should I tell her about the forest? I wasn't too keen on having her lecturing me on why I wasn't allowed to leave the yard. But she's my best friend, so maybe she might understand. What should I do?

"No it's nothing. I'm just tired, that's all," I lied.

"Oh, is that what it was?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't blame you for being tired. It was a long car ride," she said as we walked into the attic.

"I'm glad I brought a swimsuit with me," I said to myself.

I grabbed my swimsuit out of my humongous suitcase and quickly changed into it. I walked to the window in the far side of the room. Staring at the outside world was very calming. There was a beautiful view of the forest, and the sun shone down on the yard, making it look happier and brighter. But then, I saw Kendra's grandfather and one of the workers from the barn come slowly coming out of the forest. Ugh, how come they got to go into the forest? Kendra's grandfather doesn't really look like he'd be a good match against a bear. Or maybe even worse. They seemed to be acting really cautious so no one saw them.

That's it! I'd sneak out tonight after dinner! Then, I would be back before anyone even notices that I'm gone. Just a short walk, nothing more. I smiled excitedly as the two men outside briskly walked to the porch.

"Hey Hazel!"

I turned around in surprise.

"Let's go!" Kendra said and dragged me out of her room.

We race down the stairs and out to the pool. There was Seth, standing at the edge of the pool, soaking wet.

"Hey ladies! Watch this!" Seth called out to us.

At first, I was confused on what he was doing. He was walking away from the pool. Then I realized what he was doing. Once he got enough distance between him and the pool, he sprinted towards it. But right as he was about to jump, he slipped in a large puddle and slid right into the pool, the splash sending water everywhere. I doubled over laughing, and I could tell Kendra was doing the same.

As Seth resurfaced, Kendra applauded and said sarcastically," Nice job, Seth. Very impressive."

"Shut up," he snapped.

But I could tell he was laughing too. I smiled at both brother and sister as I waded into the cold water.

It wouldn't be long until it was time. Now, all I have to do is wait.


	2. Beyond the Yard

**Beyond the Yard**

Dinnertime  
"So, how do you like it here, Hazel?" Kendra's Grandfather asked.

I looked up from my food. "It's amazing, Mr. Sorenson!" I marveled.

"Thank you, dear!" Mrs. Sorenson said.

"Just call us Stan and Ruth from now on, okay?" Kendra's grandfather said.

I nodded and went back to my food. Tonight, we were eating steak and mashed potatoes. The food was amazing! The steak was tender and juicy and became more flavorful with each bite. The mashed potatoes were soft and creamy and looked like little clouds on a plate. I licked my lips with a satisfied look on my face.

"Compliments to the chef," I said my mouth watering.

"You're welcome," said Ruth with a big, wrinkly smile spreading across her face.

After I finally ate the last scrap of steak, I put my dish in the sink and walked towards the door.

"Hey where are you going?" Seth asked.

"Oh I was just going to go to the yard to watch the butterflies," I lied.

"Don't go out for too long, alright?" Ruth called after me as I walked out the door.

Finally! I could go to the forest! I had waited for so long I thought I was going to explode! I quickly dashed to the edge of the yard.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," I whispered as if Ruth or someone else was there.

I stared at the forest ahead of me. Here I go. I dashed in and jumped over a couple of bushes before I stopped to take it all in. There were butterflies everywhere! The trees where a beautiful green, the bushes were full of berries. It's breathtaking! I began to trot through the shrubbery to see if I could find a neat little clearing or tree. I passed by a couple of trees that I climbed but not too high because I was just a little afraid of heights.

As I climbed down one tree, I saw noticed two goats hiding behind a bush. Not wanting to scare them away, I slowly approached them.

"Hi there. My name is Hazel Patterson," I said calmly to attract the two creatures.

They stepped out from behind the bush and shied a little closer. Wow, I've never seen real goats before!

"Aren't you two cute," I said getting closer.

The two goats suddenly froze and galloped away out of sight. I smacked my forehead and my face flushed with embarrassment. I felt pretty stupid talking to a pair of goats.

Curious of where the goats ran off to, I walked off in the direction they went. I didn't get much luck in finding them, though. Nothing very interesting happened for a while and I decided to turn back.

But suddenly, in the distance, I saw what look like a hedge. I quickly ran up to it and looked around. There's no entrance. Having no other choice I crawled under the hedge. When I came up on the other side, my mouth hung open in awe. In the middle of the clearing, there was a dark, foggy lake with a boathouse on the far side. In the center of the lake stood a small island. Surrounding the lake were a circle of white gazebos. What in the world is this doing here? I walked to the nearest gazebo and found a bowl of pinkish liquid inside. Is that punch? I didn't think so, but I was curious to what it tasted like. I bent down and sniffed it. It had a salty and sweet aroma. Kind of like the ocean. I slowly raised the bowl to my lips and took a sip of it. Ugh! It tasted horrible. I dumped the nasty liquid out on the grass. I quickly ran down to the lake, refilled the bowl with water, and guzzled it all down. I trudged over to the gazebo and set down the bowl.

I felt light-headed. Maybe I should go back. I quickly walked to the hedge and crawled under it. Slowly walking back to the house, I thought about how I should never drink strange liquids again. My head started throbbing, and I groaned. This isn't good. I have to get back. I broke into a run and the throbbing increased tenfold.

"Aaaahhhh!" I cried out in pain.

What is happening to me? I ran faster, not caring about the throbbing. My vision started to blur as tears streamed down my face.

"Make it stop!" I screamed in agony.

I could see the lights of the house now. I can make it.

"I can make it, I can make it, I can make it…," I whispered to myself barely able speak now.

I burst into the yard. I was almost to the porch. 15 feet…10 feet…5 feet. I tripped and slammed my head hard on the ground.

"Ugh," I moaned.

I heard the door swing open and a scream.

"Hazel! Hazel! Hazel, can you hear me?" a female voice cried.

I tried to keep myself awake, but it was no use. I stopped my efforts as the world faded into black and all was silent.

PLEASE READ!

Hey readers, for those of you that know what just happened to Hazel, I know I made this super dramatic and this did not occur in the book. But it would be really boring if I didn't write this, and I hope you agree. Please write a review if you didn't like this dramatic chapter and I will make it less dramatic. I hope you enjoyed! XD


	3. The Fairy Queen

**The Fairy Queen**

A small breeze blew by disturbing my peaceful sleep. I slowly pulled myself up. Where am I? I looked around. There were no walls and no roof, but I wasn't outside. It was just a never-ending stretch of nothing. Everywhere I look was the color white. I couldn't even tell if I was upside down. It was all the same.

Then a strong emotion of happiness hit me like a punch. Tears of joy spilled down my cheeks, and I didn't even know why. The sweet aroma of flowers wafted up my nose.

"We have found our new heroine."

I looked around to see who was there.

No one.

"You are so very lucky to have been saved by my children," the serene voice said again.

"Who are you? Where are you?" I asked, still trying to hold back the tears.

"I am the Fairy Queen, and you are where you last collapsed," the voice said.

I chuckled. "Nice try. Whoever you are, let me out of here! I want to see Kendra!"

"Hmm, Kendra. I haven't heard of that name in a long time. Oh how I miss her," the Fairy Queen said.

Suddenly, a new wave of emotion hit, and this time, it was the feeling of longing. I staggered and fell over on my side.

"There is something I need to tell you, Hazel," the Fairy Queen said in a very grave voice.

"How do you know my name?" I questioned, raising my voice a little.

This person was really starting to annoy me.

"Well, my fairies have watched you very closely."

"Fairies?"

What in the world is going on? I shivered as another breeze blew by. Wait! Maybe this isn't real! Maybe it's a dream! Yes, that has to be it. There's no other explanation. Ha, fairies. I don't believe in them anymore.

"This is just a dream, isn't it?" I said not confused anymore," You can't fool me!"

"Please, Hazel! Please believe me! If you don't, then they will surely find you and bring you down."

A feeling of urgency struck hard. The smell of smoke lingered in the air, my eyes began to water. I choked on my words as I gasped for air.

"W-w-who's they?" I barely choked out.

"They are an organization called the Evening Star, who used to be led by the Sphinx. But they will find a new leader soon, and when they do, they will come for you," the Fairy Queen explained.

"W-w-wait! Who i-is the Sphinx? W-why do they w-w-want me?" I choked harder.

"The Sphinx was a regular man who drank from the Font of Immortality, the third horn of a unicorn that makes you immortal if you drink from it weekly. But after your friend, Kendra, killed the demon king, Gorgrog, he became an eternal, an immortal human used as a key to the demon prison, Zzyzx. His organization wants you because you are fairykind," the Fairy Queen explained in a more urgent tone.

"V-very kind?" I asked confused.

"No, fairykind," she said slowly.

"W-w-what is that m-mean?" I questioned barely able to control myself.

"Well, when you drank the potion in the woods, my fairies had a choice to either kill you or make you fairykind. So it means that you have become a fairy."

I looked down to look at myself. "S-so I'm n-not human a-anymore?"

"You are still a mortal human, my child, but you now have some of the powers that a fairy has. You can read the language of the fairies, Silvian, and you have the power to restore power to magical artifacts."

I still wasn't sure I believed what I was hearing, but she had me somewhat convinced. I coughed loudly and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"W-what do I d-d-do?" I asked.

"You must not leave Fablehaven for a while," she ordered me.

"F-fablehaven?" I asked.

"Fablehaven is the magical preserve that you're grandfather. It is a place where magical creatures of all kinds can be safe," she said, "But now that you know what to do, I will leave you to your peace. Now you must tell the others about the information you have just received."

And with that, she left and I found myself on lying on the couch in the living room. I breathed in and out deeply. I looked around to see everyone staring at me with wide-eyed.

"Hazel! You're okay!" Seth cried as he embraced me tightly.

I smiled. It was great to see that everyone cared about me.

"Seth, don't hug her so hard! She might still be hurt!" Ruth scolded. Turning to face me she asked, "How are feeling dear?"

I sat up and announced, "I'm fine, it's just that I'm a little shocked."

"Shocked?" Stan asked.

"Yeah, I had this really weird dream about some Fairy Queen, but she told me that it wasn't a dream and that there was going to be a new leader of some Evening Star thing. Apparently, they're after me because I drank a potion in the woods and it I became fairykind or something," I said nonchalantly.

I looked at everyone and expected them to laugh. Instead, they all stared at me, dumbfounded.

Stan was the first to speak. "That wasn't a dream, Hazel."

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm fairykind, too," Kendra said.

"Man, you're so lucky! I wish I was fairykind!" Seth complained.

"Well, you're a Shadow Charmer, so I wouldn't be complaining," Kendra glared at Seth, "But anyways, Hazel, this is important. If the Evening Star is out to get you, then you can't leave Fablehaven."

"Yeah, I know," I said.

Suddenly, Stan stood up. "As caretaker of this preserve, I should familiarize Hazel with the creatures and workers here at Fablehaven."

"When shall we do that?" I asked, still shaken up from what I just learned.

"We start after we all have a nice breakfast."

He turned and he walked to the kitchen with Ruth close behind. This I was definitely the weirdest vacation I had ever been on.


	4. Welcome to Fablehaven

**Welcome to Fablehaven**

I followed Stan outside and into the yard. I gasped. Instead of butterflies fluttering around the yard, there where little fairies floating around everywhere. A slim fairy with baby blue wings and red hair flew up to me.

"Hi there," I greeted her.

The fairy just tossed her hair with a smirk and flew away as quickly as she came. I shrugged my shoulders and jogged to the edge of the yard where Stan was waiting for me.

Looking me in the eye, he said, "Listen, Hazel. This is very important. There are many different creatures out there. Some are gentile and safe to be around, like the fairies in the yard. But others can be very dangerous if provoked, like centaurs. But here we have something called the treaty. It sets certain rules for the creatures of Fablehaven. For example, only fairies are allowed in the yard, and only humans can enter the house. It's what keeps Fablehaven stable. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Good," he said with a toothy smile, "Welcome to Fablehaven, Hazel."

He pulled some small branches out of the way and let me pass first.

"What was with that fairy back there? When I greeted her, she gave me a weird look and just flew off," I questioned him.

"Oh, all fairies are like that. They don't really care for talking with any other creature but themselves. But they rarely even talk among themselves. Instead they just spend all their time staring at their reflection. But when you compliment them on their looks, they might be up to talk to you," he explained.

"They're very different from how they're described in books," I said.

Stan smiled. "Well, here are the first creatures we'll meet, satyrs.

As I stepped over a short bush, I saw a tennis court with a little shed on the sideline. On the far side of the court, were to men. But the strange thing was that they had two slightly curved horns on their head and hairy goat legs. So those must be satyrs. How strange. As I walk over to them, I heard them arguing over something.

"…but I clearly hit the ball in the court!" one satyr yelled.

"No it clearly went out see?" the other said as he trotted over to as spot right outside the sidelines.

"Are you two done? I have someone to introduce you to," Stan interrupted.

The two satyrs turned around in surprise.

"Oh Stan! Fancy meeting you here!" the first satyr said tipping an imaginary hat.

"This is Newel," Stan said pointing to the satyr who was standing on the sidelines, "and this is Doren." He pointed to the other one.

"Hi," I said awkwardly.

It felt weird talking to two satyrs.

"Hey I know her!" Doren exclaimed, "She's the girl who called us cute! We are anything but cute! We are the strongest, bravest, and smartest creatures in all of Fablehaven."

He threw a few punches at the air to show me.

"Alright then," Stan said ignoring his last statement, "These two are incredibly greedy and love to manipulate nipsies into giving them gold. Never give make a bargain with them. They're also cowardly at most times."

"Ouch," Newel said flinching.

I laughed. The satyrs just stared at me.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"Oh it's just that I never thought I'd meet talking goats and fairies," I giggled.

Doren frowned, "We're satyrs, not goats."

"Hey why is she here anyways?" Newel asked Stan.

"She's become fairykind," he answered.

"No way! Just like Kendra! Man, won't Veryl be excited to hear this!" Newel snickered.

As quick as a hare, the two satyrs galloped away.

"Come, Hazel. I have two more places to show you. I will explain the rest back at the house," Stan said.

I followed him as he walked back the way we entered the court. The rest of the walk was silent. We occasionally exchanged glances but not words. As we approached our next destination, I realized that it was that hidden pond with the hedge surrounding it. But instead of crawling under the hedge, we spent another minute walking around the circumference of the hedge until we found the entrance. As I entered Stan stopped and turned to face me.

"Hazel, never ever go near the edge of that pond. It may not look like it, but there are at least a dozen naiads in there. If you get anywhere close, they won't hesitate to pull you in and drown you. Also, avoid conversation with them. They will try to lure you closer," he explained gravely.

I gulped. I remembered last night when I ran to the edge of the pond to drink the water. To think that I could've been drowned. I opened my mouth as if to speak but then closed it and swallowed my confession. I looked at the clearing and shivered. It had a creepy feeling to it. I walked over to the pond but kept my distance. Stan just watched from afar.

Suddenly, the surface was disturbed by violent ripples. Up from out of the water came a head. The naiad had deep blue eyes with auburn hair. Her lips were slimy looking and a pale pink. Her skin was slimy and pale just like her lips. She was both alluring and menacing.

I looked away, trying to avoid eye contact. The naiad tilted her head back and laughed. Her laugh wasn't normal. It was eerie and high-pitched.

"So, the little fairy is frightened. Some heroine. She can't even look at me, sisters," she taunted, the words sliding out of her mouth like a snake.

Beneath the water, I heard muffled giggles erupted like a symphony of tinkling bells on the surface.

"I'm not afraid," I said bravely.

But inside I was crying for help like a little child. The naiad was right. I'm not a very good heroine.

"Oh she speaks!" the naiad said with fake surprise.

Once again, the laughter bubbled up to the surface, only louder.

"Why don't you come closer and I'll tell a little secret about why you were chosen?" she bribed.

I stepped a little closer to the edge. The naiad smiled exposing her pearly white teeth.

"Hazel don't!"

I turned around in surprise.

"Don't fall for it," Stan cried, "Only the Fairy Queen knows why you were chosen! Hazel come back!"

I looked down at the naiad. The smile still remained on her face. I shivered. Naiads are not what I expected them to be like. I walked back up to where Stan was standing with his arms crossed.

"Don't ever do that again!" he scolded.

He sounded like my mom.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's alright," he said, his face softening, "It's you're first day interacting with magical creatures.

I nodded.

"Alright then, let's head to our last stop," Stan sighed.

I followed him out of the clearing. As I left, I looked back one more time. She was gone, and the lake was still. Creepy. I ran after Stan who was already a few yards ahead.

"So, what's our next stop?" I questioned.

"We'll be going to Dale and Warren's cabin. They're the workers that help out with the house."

"Oh."

After that we didn't talk . But I knew that we were thinking about the same thing. That naiad sure was creepy. Stan must have been really worried. I never knew that they were that dangerous. I replayed the scene in my mind for the rest of the walk.

Soon afterwards, we arrived at a small little wooden cabin. Stan walked up to the door and knocked on it three times. Knock. Knock. Knock. No one answered. I was about to suggest that we should leave when a tall man with tan skin and brown hair opened the door. He smiled at us when I noticed who it was.

"Hey there, Stan! Giving Hazel a tour of Fablehaven I see," the man said.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Everyone at Fablehaven does," he said, "I'm Warren. Geez, what did you do to her, Stan? She looks like she's a ghost!

"She just encountered a naiad for the first time," Stan said.

Warren thought about it for a moment. "Anyways, come on in guys."

I nodded and stepped inside. As I walked in, I saw a similar looking man with paler skin. He was sitting at a small, round table. In the far corners were two wooden beds. They weren't very big, due to the small size of the cabin. Suddenly, the man at the table stood up.

"Hey, Hazel!" he welcomed, "My name is Dale. Right now, I was just taking a rest from pumpkin carving."

"Pumpkin carving?" I asked.

"Yeah, you see, Midsummer Eve is coming up tomorrow, and I have to carve all the pumpkins out behind the cabin to protect the house," Dale explained.

"Why would you need to do that?"

"Well on Midsummer Eve, all the creatures here go wild and rampage all over Fablehaven, including the yard. So to protect us, fairies will fly into the pumpkins around the house and that will protect us."

"Oh." I nodded.

"Thank you, Dale," Stan said.

Dale nodded in return.

As I stepped out the door with Stan, he asked me, "Hazel, have you ever met a golem?"

"No," I answered with a smile, knowing what was going to happen.

"Hugo!" Stan hollered.

I looked around. Where was it? Suddenly, a tall creature made of dirt and stone came charging down a small hill not too far away. It was pushing a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins in front of it. Finally, it skidded to a stop in front of me and let go of the wheelbarrow. I looked at it and guessed it was around 8 to 9 feet tall.

"Hugo, this is Hazel," Stan introduced.

Hugo bent down until his head was level with mine and then froze like a statue.

"Hi," I said nervously.

He just stared at me. Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. Suddenly, he jumped back up to his normal height and patted me on the head. He made a weird choking sound and trembled. It took me a while to realize that he was laughing. I let a quiet giggle.

"Bye, Hugo!" Stan said with a wave.

The golem grabbed the wheelbarrow and returned the gesture.

"So what did you think of our little adventure?" Stan questioned as we walked back to the yard.

"It was so cool!" I exclaimed.

Stan laughed, "Good. I'll explain the rest when we get back."

I nodded as we stepped into the yard. They door burst open as we reached the porch steps.

"How did it go?" Seth asked excitedly.

"It was amazing," I said.

He smiled. "Come on! Grandma just made lunch!"

He dragged me inside the house and I waved to Stan who was slowly walking in. I thought of Newel and Doren and how they were so comical. I thought of the naiad who tried to lure me in the water. And I thought of Warren, Dale, and Hugo who were probably busy carving pumpkins right now. Every creature that I met were different from what I expected. Hmm, I wonder, how dangerous is Midsummer Eve?


	5. Midsummer Mayhem

**Midsummer Mayhem**

Tonight was the night. Today was Midsummer Eve. There was barely any light left. Everyone was gathered in the living room wearing pajamas. They all seemed to know what to do. I felt weird being the only one that didn't.

"Alright, tonight is Midsummer Eve. You all know what will happen. Everyone but the children will be downstairs ready for anything that might get in the house. Kendra and Seth, show Hazel what to in the attic," Stan ordered.

"Come on. Let's get to bed," Kendra said taking my hand.

I let her lead me up the stairs as Seth trailed behind.

"When the sun goes down, someone will lock the door. We are to stay in our beds and wear these," Kendra commanded handing me some foam ear plugs. "There is a border of salt around the bed. The salt keeps them out. If we broke this line, they would easily get in and kill us. Another thing, never open that window. No how much you want to, resist the temptations." Kendra glared at Seth, who gave her a guilty look in return.

I hopped into the side of the bed closest to the window. We all lay there for a few minutes as the light from the window got darker and darker. Click. I heard the door lock. I began to tremble. I expected to hear noise, but instead, all was silent. I rolled over to look at Kendra.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. As long as we stay in bed, nothing will happen," she whispered.

Suddenly, a soft glow appeared out the window. I lifted my head to look. The fairies were floating into the hollow pumpkins, just like Dale said they were. I thought of the Fairy Queen and smiled. A hand grabbed my forehead and pushed me down. It was Seth. He shook his head at me as if to scold me. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. And that's when I heard it.

A blood curdling scream filled the air. I covered my ears and flinched. Other odd beastly noises joined in, and that's when it started getting out of hand.

"It got crazy really fast!" Seth whispered worriedly.

My body tensed up at the worry in his voice. Was something wrong? Just then, everything stopped.

"Something's definitely not right," Kendra confirmed my thoughts, "Don't worry, Hazel, remember they can't get in."

I hope she's right. I didn't want to die. But why was it so quiet. Seconds passed by. 1…2…3…. The wind didn't howl, and the bed springs didn't squeak when I shifted positions. 13…14…15…. My face felt hot when I touched it, and I began to sweat. 26…27…28…. What's going on?

BOOM! We all jumped up at the tremendous sound. And once more, the ghostly wails and moans interrupted the eerie silence. But, something about them wasn't right. They sounded so far away. I wanted to look out the window so badly. I leaned my head and shoulders just high enough to see outside. Nothing was in the yard. They were all clustered around what looked like a giant crack in a hill far away.

"Get down!" Kendra hissed.

"It looks like they're clustered around some humongous crack on a hill," I reported.

Kendra gasped and turned to look at Seth, who was as white as a ghost.

"Bahumat," he whispered.

"I'll go to the window to check," Kendra said.

"No, I'll go," I volunteered, "You said yourself that we can't get out of bed. What would your grandparents think if they found out that you were snatched up by one of those things?"

Kendra thought about it for a second. "Alright, but make it quick."

I slowly slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, making sure I didn't step on the salt. I peeked out the window and tried to see what they were doing. It was surprisingly easy to see in the dark. I don't know why. I rested my head against the window.

"Well?" Seth asked.

"They're just standing there," I replied.

BOOM!

I stared wide-eyed as a black, three-headed dragon with three horns protruding from its head. It ran like a human, except for the fact that it had three legs and arms, three tails, and spikes sticking out all over its body.

I quickly ran back to the bed. But as I ran, I tripped over a loose floorboard and fell to the ground right in front of the bed. I quickly recovered from the fall and jumped into the bed.

"Hazel! The salt!" Kendra shrieked pointing at my tank top.

I looked down to see a ton of salt all over me. I looked down at the ground. The salt border had a gaping hole in it.

"Oh no!" I gasped.

Clang! The gates! They were broken! I tried to patch up the hole in the border, but it was no use. The hole was too big.

"What do we do?" I cried.

"I don't know this has never happened before!" Seth cried.

I heard the shrieks and screams of the creatures get closer and closer. Just then, a deafening roar erupted just outside the house.

"Was that Bahumat?" I asked tears welling up in my eyes.

The shook their heads. I was about to cry when I remembered what that naiad said.

_So, the little fairy is frightened. Some heroine. She can't even look at me, sisters._

I have to be strong. If I really am the "heroine", then I must act like it. I wiped away my tears with the palm of my hand. It became quiet again. I slowly got up and walked to the window. I looked back at Kendra and Seth. They were shook their heads and beckoned me to come back. I just ignored them and slowly walked over to the window. Bahumat was nowhere to be found and the monsters weren't in the yard. I sighed in relief. It seems like it's over. I smiled to myself.

In a quick movement, an eye the size of the window pressed up against the glass. We all screamed and fell backwards in surprise. Then, as quickly as it came, the creature left. I scrambled away from the window as a human boy, about my age, crashed through the window. He ran over to me. I tried to crawl away, but he quickly picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. I screamed once more.

"Let go of me!" I yelled and pounded on his back.

Seth ran up to him and tried to kick him in the ribs. He missed and the boy easily punched Seth in the face. Seth fell over on his back, blood streaming from his nose.

"Seth!" Kendra ran up to her brother.

The boy stopped to look at her.

"Long time, no see, Kendra," he said with a malevolent look in his eyes.

She stared up at him with rage but couldn't speak. He smiled at her.

With an innocent look he said, "S-s-sorry, Kendra."

Then, he jumped out the window and suddenly spread two black, scaly wings. He let out a jet of flames from his mouth. A dragon. All I had time to say were two words.

"Help…me…."

My eyes closed, and I slipped into a world of darkness.


	6. The Demon Prince

**The Demon Prince**

Drip…drip…. My eyes fluttered open. Drip. A drop of water from the ceiling landed on my nose. I brushed it off in disgust. Where was I? I looked around. It was a cave. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't. My hands were bound behind my back, and my legs were tied as well. I slowly scooted over to the mouth of the cave. Outside was about a thousand foot drop. Below me, was a forest. There was no chance of escape. The cave was humongous. The wall started low in the back, and slanted upwards towards the front. I guess I could do nothing but sit here and wait for someone or something to come. Why was I tied up? I tried to remember last night, but I couldn't. I gazed out beyond the forest. There sat a very steep mountain.

Suddenly, the cave floor began to quake. What in the world was that? I looked out into the distance. Out of nowhere, a black dragon flew past the cave and turned back towards me. It was huge and adorned hundreds of spikes all over its body. I threw myself to the floor as it sped in. As it landed, it folded its wings, making it easier for it to fit into the cave. It looked at me and turned its giant head to the side to get a better look at me. I didn't dare look up at it. Maybe it wouldn't eat me if I pretended to be dead. I closed my eyes and hoped it didn't notice that I had my eyes open.

"You know I would just eat you if you were dead."

I spun my head around. There stood a boy. He tossed his light brown hair to the side and smirk. He had tan skin and thin lips. I wasn't very good at guessing ages, but he looked about 16, like me. Who was he?

"You have no clue where you are do you?" he said as he pulled me up into a sitting position.

I shook my head.

"No? Well, you're in Wrymroost. It's one of the preserves," he said as if I should have known.

"Who are you?" I murmured.

He smirked. I looked at him confused. He threw his head back and laughed.

"I'm Navarog, the demon prince! We met yesterday, when I carried you off during Midsummer Eve, idiot!" he spat.

I remembered now! Last night was Midsummer Eve, and something went wrong and this guy came in and took me away! I looked at him in worry. What did he want me for? Could it be that he was the one that the Fairy Queen spoke of? The new leader of the Evening Star?

"Am I here because I'm fairykind?" I asked.

"Well I guess you're not as stupid as I thought you were," he said.

"Why do you need fairykind?"

He bent down so that his face was right in mine.

"You asked too many questions don't you. What a pest. Hopefully you'll be cooperative so I don't have to put up with you," he breathed into my face.

I stared him straight in the face. I wasn't scared.

"I'm not doing anything for you!" I glared.

He looked at me surprised and pulled me up by the collar of my shirt. "Funny, I thought you cared about your friends. You see, my good friend, Bahumat, has total control over Fablehaven. We wouldn't want Kendra or anyone else to get hurt."

I looked away. "No, I wouldn't."

"Good," he said and threw me to the ground.

He began to walk towards the back of the cave.

"You're a liar!"

He stopped but didn't face me.

"Fablehaven is safe! You're lying! I won't listen to a monster like you!" I yelled.

He walked over to me and smiled at me. I glared up at him with disgust. His gazed burned down on me and I felt an urge to look away. But something told me to keep going. He leaned over, still keeping his gaze on me. My body grew hotter as fear spread all over me. He smiled again. Smack! I winced in pain. My left cheek burned as if it was on fire. I tried not to cry out in pain. Instead, I quiet moan emanated from my mouth. With satisfaction written all over his face, Navarog jumped out of the cave as his tan skin transformed into black scales, and he spread his wings.

When he was out of sight, I tilted my head back to look at the ceiling and screamed as loud as I could. I hated him! I hated him so much! When I stopped, I lay sprawled on the cave floor and thought about Fablehaven. They couldn't be imprisoned by that demon, Bahumat! As I thought about what Navarog said, I began to believe him. Well even if they were being held captive, I knew they would live through it. They all had strong hearts.

I slumped against the cave wall and sighed. But, what would happen to me?

PLEASE READ

Heyo! As you can see, this is the end of 6th chapter of Demon's Affair. I'm finally getting used to this website and updating as fast as I can! Yay! But, I'm just a little worried about Navarog's behavior in this chapter. Due to my editor (my friend that just reads my stuff before I post it), the way he acted was a little too mean. I just read the part when he's telling Kendra about his plans and stuff (the 4th book) like 50 times and he seemed the menacing and obviously evil. But not too evil. Anyways, I would like for you to tell me in the reviews whether he was too mean or if he's ok. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed! XD


	7. Escape from Wrymroost

**Escape from Wrymroost**

I slumped against the cave wall and stared outside. It looked like Navarog was right. Bahumat must have captured my friends. It had been 5 days since I found myself imprisoned here. I examined the ugly cuts and scratches on my body from previous beatings. I didn't have a lot of strength left. I thought my vacation was going to be full of fun. But instead spent my time in Hell, under the watch of the devil himself. Not a single glimmer of hope appeared anywhere. I barely talked to Navarog and he barely fed me. My lips were cracked from the lack of water, my stomach ached from the lack of food. I looked over to the back of the cave. There he was, sitting and staring at me. I glared at him.

"You said you needed me. But all you've been doing is sitting and watching me. Why is that?"

He chuckled. "I'm not doing anything because I'm trying to find your weakness. I have to admit, you're very strong for a girl. Physically and emotionally."

I just nodded and look back outside. So that's what it was. My face reddened with anger. So he's been torturing me just to find my weakness? I couldn't believe it.  
"I don't have a weakness," I stated firmly.

"Well, I've come to the conclusion that you have a thing for your friends," he threatened.

I looked down at my feet. He was right, that was probably my weakness. I sighed. He always wins.

Suddenly, a roar erupted from close by and shook the cave. What was that? I looked at Navarog to see that he was just as surprised as me. The roar came again, but closer this time. Navarog immediately jumped up and ran over to be. I winced, expecting a slap or a kick, but instead he picked me up. My eyes widened as I figured out what he was doing.

"No!" I cried.

But he already leaped out the mouth of the cave. I felt his hands morph into enormous claws. I felt like I was flying. I was in a position where he was carrying me by my shoulders. The wind rushed against my face and I looked at the forest below. Roar! I turned my head. My jaw dropped in awe. A brilliant silver dragon was flying close behind. On top of the winged beauty was a boy who had was holding a glowing object that looked like a coin. I couldn't help but wonder if he was on Kendra's side or Navarog's. It was gaining on us, and I could feel Navarog's grip tightening. I watched as the silver dragon's mouth opened and released a ray of light from his mouth. The ray shot out like a dart. I screamed as it barely missed me and grazed Navarog's wing. Smiling in relief, I looked up to find out that Navarog's wing was on fire! He plummeted down to the ground and loosened his grip. I began to slip out and I cried out in shock of the feeling of gravity pulling down.

"Help!" I screamed.

The silver dragon dove down to catch me. I tried to move my head as much as I could to look at the incoming dragon.

"I got you!" the boy on the dragon's back yelled.

I fell into his arms.

"It's okay. You can breathe now. He's gone," strange boy reassured me.

"Are you a friend of Kendra's?" I asked shakily.

"Yes I am. My name is Bracken, son of the Fairy Queen. This dragon you're riding on is the king of the dragons, Celebrant. You should be honored to be riding on him. After all, he doesn't normally let anyone ride on him," he said.

"You're the Fairy Queen's son?" I gasped as Bracken cut me free of my bindings.

"Yeah, I'm here to take you to her realm where you'll be safe. In the mean time I will-"

I screamed again as a pair of claws snatched me by my torso. I looked up to see a humongous blue dragon spewing blue fire at Celebrant. Avoiding it, he circled around and tried to bite the other dragon's tail.

"Hold on! Celebrant will get you back!" Bracken called, cupping his hands around his mouth,

I nodded quickly in terror. The blue dragon swooped down trying to tackle Celebrant. He barely dodged as the dragon raked its claws along his side, but did no damage to his strong scales. Noticing that it couldn't do anything, the blue dragon flew away. In the distance, I saw a series of stone towers. Not too far from that, sat an opened gate. Where was this dragon taking me? I reached out to Celebrant and Bracken as the gap between me and them, widened.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me and the blue dragon. Another dragon. This one had red and orange scales and had a lion's head and mane. It rushed at the blue dragon, and they clashed in an explosion of color. They clawed and roared at each other in fury. I ducked as a sharp claw zoomed over me. Turning around, I saw Bracken coming closer to the brawl. I looked up to see a red tail reach hanging close to me. I reached for it as it came closer. Maybe I could climb onto its tail and it would fly away. Suddenly, in a flash of black, Navarog tackled the lion dragon. I cursed. I was an inch away to reaching the tail.

Now, with a clear path to the gate, the blue dragon dove down with Navarog coming up from the rear. The lion dragon chased us down and tried to grab me. But with one flick of his spiked tail, Navarog sent him hurtling to the ground. Right as we reached the gate, Celebrant arrived at the scene and stretched his neck out in order to grab me with his teeth. I cringed as his teeth clamped together just a few inches short of my dangling foot.

I yelled in frustration. I was so close to freedom! I looked out over the snowy mountains of the Himalayas. Where were they taking me? Was I so important that all those dragons had to fight to get me? I let a single, salty tear slide down my cheek. This is all happening so fast!

I looked over at Navarog who was beginning to fly slower and slower. The blue dragon seemed to notice as his singed wing changed into a bloody human arm. It flew underneath him as he plummeted to the ground and caught him on its back. Grabbing me with its teeth, it placed me on its back. We sat there in silence for a few minutes. I tried to get up on my feet and walk to the nearest spike. I soon realized the mistake I was making. As I set my foot down on the first step, it slipped off of its back and took the rest of my body with it. I screamed. But for some reason, I didn't fall to my death. I looked up to see Navarog tightly holding my arm with one hand and holding onto one of the blue dragon's spikes with the other. He slowly pulled me up and pulled me in close. Having no choice, I tightly held onto him so I didn't have to experience the fright of falling. He grabbed the back of my head and pushed it into his chest.

"Don't let go of me," he whispered into my ear, "If you do, I won't save you."

"Why are like that," I asked him.

"Like what?" he said.

"Sometimes you care for me, and other times you beat me!" I spat.

"Hey, the only reason I'm feeding you and keeping you alive is so I can fulfill my revenge," he hissed, "So don't get the wrong idea!"

I pictured his face to be menacing, but when I pulled my head away to look at him, his expression was soft and hard to understand. A breeze blew by, and I shivered. My thoughts brought me back to the cave, and I remembered how that first morning I woke up to find myself in a strange place. I scanned the area below. There was mountains everywhere. I wondered where I would find myself next.


	8. Artifacts and Affairs

**Artifacts and Affairs**

I had been sitting in this cell for hours. I was beginning to worry I was going to be trapped here for a long time. The moon and stars were already out.

A few hours ago, when we arrived at this abandoned preserve in the desert, we were greeted by two men who escorted me to this cell. I hadn't done anything since. As for Navarog and Nafia, the blue dragon that carried me out of Wrymroost, I had no idea where they went. I shifted my position so that I was lying down. I tried to drift off into the world of dreams when I heard voices coming down the hall. I jumped up off of my bed and ran to the slot in the door to peek outside.

"So I wonder what artifacts they have for her to recharge?" a voice said, probably a guard.

"I don't know," another said, "but I bet one of them is the Chronometer since this is the Lost Mesa."

"And they probably have the Sands of Sanctity too," the first guard added.

I heard their footsteps stop at my door. A tinkling sound rang through the halls, and a few seconds later, the lock clicked, and the door opened. Two guards stood there.

"Come with us," one of them said as he and the other guard hold my hands behind my back.

They walked me through a labyrinth of hallways, and after a few minutes, we reached stairwell. We walked hurriedly up the stairs and into a room with one long granite table. At the far end of the table, sat a man with dreadlocks. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. He was not the ideal villain I had in mind. Standing to his right side was Navarog and Nafia to his left. Why was Navarog listening to that man? The guards released me and walked over to the dungeon door. I heard the lock click, and the guards stood by the door. I was locked in. I turned my attention back to the man with dreadlocks.

"Come here, girl," he beckoned to me with a curl of his forefinger.

I warily walked over to him.

"Have a seat," he ordered as he motioned to a chair next to him.

I sat down and looked him in the eyes. He had a calm look on his face. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"No," I answered trying to stay calm.

"I am the Sphinx, the leader of this organization," he said, "Do you know what organization that is?"

"Yes. The Evening Star."

"Very good."

"Now, do you know why you're here?" the Sphinx asked.

He shot a glance at Navarog.

"No."

"Well, you're here to recharge some magical artifacts. You are fairykind, am I right?" he informed.

I nodded. What did he mean by activate? He smiled at me and snapped his fingers. Navarog and Nafia picked up two objects from the floor and placed them on the table. A golden ball and a kettle that looked like a cat sat on the table. The Sphinx pushed them towards me.

"These are two out of five very important magical artifacts that I need you to activate. This one is called the Chronometer," he said picking up the golden ball, "and it enables you to send yourself into the future for three days when someone presses a certain button. You can also go back in time. I want you to transfer energy to the ball by merely touching it."

I reached for the artifact nervously. I laid a finger on it, and I felt a strange sucking sensation. I looked to the Sphinx for approval. He smiled.

"Good, you did it. Now, one more to recharge for now," he said, the words dancing off of his tongue, "this one is called the Sands of Sanctity. It can heal any wound by just pouring its sand on it."

He placed the artifact in front of me. I was about to touch it until something entered my mind. Why was I helping this man? I didn't want them to win! I jerked my hand away and stood up. The guards began to move towards me, but the Sphinx motioned for them to go back to their posts by the door.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked with a calm expression.

"Yes, there is. Why am I doing this for you? If I activate them all, something bad will happen! I can't let my carelessness destroy Fablehaven and maybe the world!" I said raising my voice slightly.

The Sphinx stood up and grabbed my hand. He squeezed on it until my skin turned white. I grimaced in pain. He was so strong!

"You will do as I say or face the consequences!" he snarled.

I tried to punch him with my free hand, which Navarog grabbed.

"Let me go!" I shouted.

The Sphinx didn't give any sign of giving up. I looked down at my hand. It was turning a very faint purple. I had no choice. I bent down and bit his hand as hard as I could. He bellowed in pain. His face turned pure red and his yell of pain transformed into a yell of anger. He pulled out a knife from his shirt pocket and aimed a cut at my face. I jumped back, but he managed to get a small cut right under my right eye. Blood seeped out of the cut, and I wiped it away. He suddenly caught my right arm as I tried to throw another punch. He drew his knife back and tried to plunge it into my arm. I struggled to pull my arm away. But, he stopped just a centimeter away. I breathed a sigh of relief and saw Navarog pulling the Sphinx's arms back.

"Calm yourself! She's just a little unsettled from all the strange things happening to her at the same time!" he yelled.

The Sphinx lowered his knife as Navarog let go of his arms. Tucking the knife in his shirt pocket, he rubbed his bleeding hand. He walked up to me and glared at me.

"You will recharge those artifacts," he ordered.

And with that, he walked into another room, leaving me with Navarog and Nafia. The two guards by the dungeon door followed hurriedly behind him.

"What in the world are you doing?" Nafia cried, "You shouldn't have opposed him! You know what would've happened!"

Navarog glared at her. "I am the Demon Prince! Soon, he'll realize his place and bow to me!"

"But for now, keep your head low! And what are you going to do about her? She knows our plan now!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Navarog said, "Come on, Hazel."

He grabbed my arm and the artifacts and led me into the dungeon and to my cell. He threw me in and closed himself inside. He stormed over to me and grabbed my shoulders.

"Why would you do that? You're such an idiot! He was probably going to stab you're arm!" Navarog yelled.

"I didn't want to help him, that's all!" I defended myself.

He glared at me. "Listen, don't do that again. I don't want to have to go through the trouble of saving you again."

I nodded. I felt a sudden pain in my eye, and I felt for the cause. I winced as I touched the cut that the Sphinx made when he was trying to stab me. I rub it in pain. I felt a hand on mine, and I looked up to see Navarog pulling my hand away. He wiped the blood away with is thumb. Bending down, he picked up the Sands of Sanctity and poured it on my cut. It bubbled and foamed and soon melted away to reveal flawless skin. I marveled at the power of the sands and touched my face where my cut had been. No pain. I looked over at Navarog who was already walking away.

"Wait!" I called after him.

He turned around to look at me.

"Thank you, Navarog," I murmured.

He smiled and walked back.

"So you do have a kinder side," he teased, "You're different from other prisoners. You seem to fight back a lot. But you're still an idiot."

He rested his thumb on my chin and leaned forward. What was he doing? His nose touched mine and realized. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in. Closing his eyes, he pulled me closer until his lips were less than an inch away. Before he could continue, I pushed him away.

"What are you doing? You may have just saved me twice today, but that doesn't mean you can kiss me!" I snapped at him.

His cheeks reddened and he took a step back. "I…I have no idea what I was doing," he said embarrassed.

"Just get out," I pushed him away.

He picked up the artifacts as he made his way to the door. Under the threshold, he stopped.

"Why would I fall in love with a weak human girl?" he said menacingly.

He slammed the door shut and locked it. I heard footsteps pounding away quickly down the hallway. I punched the door as hard as I could. Hot, sticky blood seeped out of my knuckles, but I didn't care. I was too angry to care. No, I was confused. I dropped to my knees and sat there for a while. Why did Navarog try to kiss me? Why was he and Nafia planning to overthrow the Sphinx? And why are those artifacts so important? I fell over onto my side. Too many questions bounced around in my head that I thought I might explode.

"Don't think about it, Hazel. You'll be fine," I reassured myself quietly.

Before I could get up to my bed, the world of dreams swallowed me whole.


	9. Strange Omens and Strange Plans

**Strange Omens and Strange Plans**

My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself sitting on a bench. But something was wrong. I was in the yard back at Fablehaven. I jumped up with joy. Was I really safe? I ran up to the porch and threw the door open.

"Guys, I'm back!" I cried happily.

No one answered. I stepped in and looked around. No one was home. I walked around the house, but there was no one there.

"Hello?" I called out.

I was beginning to worry. Suddenly, the ceiling creaked loudly. Was someone there? If there was someone there, why didn't they answer? I ran over to the stairs and walked up. I light was on inside the attic room. Someone was definitely in there. Or some_thing._ I cautiously pushed the door open. Everything looked fine, and nothing was out of place. Except, crouching by the bed was a very bony imp. He quietly was mumbling to himself. At the sound of my entrance, he ceased his mumbling and turned to face me. He had blisters all over his face and had pure black eyes. He giggled at the sight of me.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here. I live here," the creature said with a gruff voice.

"No you don't. The Sorensons live here," I said raised my voice.

"You're crazy. The Sorensons are dead." The imp hopped over to me like a one-legged frog.

"You're lying," I said as I narrowed my eyes.

"No I'm not. After Bahumat took over, the Sphinx ordered him to kill them all. When they were all dead, he destroyed the treaty, and that's how I got in."

Tears slid down my cheeks and I hung my head. I can't believe this happened. And it was my fault too. If only I hadn't been so uncooperative, then maybe they could've been spared.

"Hey, don't cry," the imp said hopping over to me, "I have something to show you."

It reached for my leg with one bony arm and tugged on it a couple times. He then hopped away and down the stairs. I followed reluctantly. We walked through the house until we arrived at a really big bathroom in what looked like Stan and Ruth's room.

"Here we are!" the imp said with a grin, exposing two rows of yellow, jagged teeth.

"This is a bathroom. There are plenty where I live," I said.

"That's not what I want to show you," the imp said rolling his small, narrow eyes.

He hopped over to the closet in the corner and opened it up. Inside was another door with a combination lock. The imp reached up to the lock and twisted it to the correct combination. Right. Left. Right. Click. The door opened to reveal stairs. I took a step forward as the imp motioned for me to go in. Suddenly, there was a boom that came from the yard.

"Oh it looks like Bahumat found you. Goodbye," the imp waved at me as I instantly blacked out.

* * *

I sat up in shock. Bang! I bumped my head hard on the ceiling. I looked around. I was in lying in the backseat of a car. I tried to rub my forehead with my hands, but I couldn't. They were bound like in the cave in Wrymroost. The same went for my legs.

"Hey, calm down. It was just a dream."

I looked up to see Navarog. In the driver's seat sat the Sphinx, and Nafia took shotgun.

"How did you know I was having a bad dream?" I asked Navarog.

"Because you're face was sweating like crazy. And good news, we're here," he said.

He cut me free from my bindings and shoved me out of the car. We were parked out in front of a giant mansion.

"Where are we?" I was so confused. The afternoon sun glared down on me.

"We're looking for the Translocator. Apparently, it's supposed to be here. Don't you know anything?" Nafia rolled her eyes.

"Hey! How should I know? You never tell me anything!" I defended myself.

"I thought human friends had the brains to tell each other important things like the five artifacts!" she spat.

"What do you know about humans? If there's one thing I learned about dragons, it's that they don't even have friends! They're just a dumb bunch of creatures that only have one goal in life, fighting each other and being superior!" I raged.

"Well how about I eat you! Then you'll know just how much you wish you shouldn't have said that," Nafia growled.

"Enough, Nafia. We're here to get the Translocator, and that's all," the Sphinx interrupted our quarrel.

Navarog grabbed my arm and pulled me up to the house. As we arrived at the door, the Sphinx pushed me out of the way and grabbed the hug knocker that hung on the door. Knock. Knock. As the he pulled back the knocker to hit the door a third time, the door swung inwards to reveal a 40-year-old woman. She wore a slim fitting red dress, and wore a ton of make-up.

"Welcome! What a surprise! The Sphinx, Navarog, Nafia, and," she paused when she saw me, "who's this?"

"Katrina, this is Hazel. She's that fairykind girl I told you about," the Sphinx introduced.

"Oh right, that girl," she said as she examined me, "Well, come on in."

We walked in. My jaw dropped in amazement. There were fancy vases in every corner and there were tons of windows. The furniture were all embedded with gold stitching or had solid gold legs. We walked over to an obsidian table with two red and gold couches on either side. I sat down on one of the couches and Navarog and Nafia took their seats on either side of me.

"So, why are you here? I didn't expect a visit from you," Katrina questioned.

"Well, we heard some rich human had found the Translocator and lived in this area. We thought we could use your hospitality while we went to retrieve it," Navarog said.

"Oh, of course you can stay here," Katrina said, "What's your plan to steal it?"

"Well, we were going to have you bite a few attendants to the party he's hosting tonight. You should probably take the humans Navarog and Hazel will be posing as. Nafia can do what she wants with her human," the Sphinx said.

"A party? Katrina squealed.

"Yes."

"What time does it start?" she asked.

"8:00," the Sphinx said.

"Perfect! Hazel, dear, come with me. We have a party to get you ready for," she cried as she dragged me to a door to the right.

"Hey, wait! I don't want to get dolled up!" I protested.

"Too late, honey, let's go," Katrina said pulling me through the door.

I was going to a party with the people I hate the most. Just yesterday, I was caught in a battle between four dragons and a unicorn, and even before that, I was sleeping through a monster rampage. Now, I was going to a party. It seemed almost too normal. What a strange plan.


	10. The Party

**The Party**

I twirled around in the mirror.

"How do you like it?" Katrina asked.

I examined my dress. It was a red strapless dress that fit my body perfectly. It was just a bit longer than my knees. I was wearing matching eye shadow and lipstick. Katrina sure loved red. My hair fell around my face in long waves. I wasn't too fond of wearing dresses and make-up, but I somewhat liked the fact that I got to get a full on makeover.

"I love it, Katrina. You're amazing at applying make-up. Thank you," I thanked the 20-year-old.

I was still trying to except that she had sucked the life out of a 20-year-old girl. It was horrifying to watch. A few hours earlier, the girl arrived at Katrina's front door. I watched her grab the poor girl and bite her in the neck. The girl screamed and cried for what seemed like hours. When Katrina was done, the girl had aged at least 20 years. Then, two men came and took her away and upstairs to someplace where she had kept her other victims.

"You're welcome. After all I get it from my mother, Torina," she replied.

I walked down the stairs with her where the others were waiting. I looked at Nafia who was wearing a deep blue dress. It was up to her knees in the front, but it almost brushed the ground in the back. It was a little too showy for my taste. Standing next to her were Navarog and the Sphinx who were wearing plain black tuxes.

"Oh! You all look so good! Especially you, Hazel," she squealed and pinched my cheeks.

The Sphinx stepped forward. "Alright, you all know what you have to do. Steal the Translocator. But it's not that simple. You will have to search the whole mansion. The man hosting this party is named Taylor Griffin. Katrina took care of the humans you'll be pretending to be. Nafia, your name will be Talia Redman, Navarog will be Ryan Johnson, and Hazel will be Grace Miller. If you are caught, you must escape the building in the quickest way possible. Good luck, you three."  
We all walked outside to find a black limo parked in front of the house. The Sphinx got in the front while Navarog helped me and Nafia into the seats behind him. And with that, we drove away from Katrina's mansion and to the party. A few minutes later, we arrived at a giant mansion, much bigger than Katrina's. I got out of the limo and walked up to the door. The security guard at the door stopped us before we entered.

"Your names?" he asked.

"My name is Grace Miller. These are my friends Talia Redman and Ryan Johnson," I told the man.

He nodded for us to enter as we walked through the threshold. There were already so many people here! They were all either talking or drinking champagne.

"Look for Taylor Griffin," Navarog said.

I nodded and looked around for him. It looks like he's a fan of white and gold. Gold tapestries lined the walls. There were 6 white pillars on either side of a wide walkway to a balcony overlooking the whole room. On that balcony, stood a boy my age. He wore a white tux with a red rose in his shirt pocket. That had to be him. He gazed over the crowd like a hawk.

"I found him. I'll keep him busy while you get the Translocator," I ordered.

"Right, remember what we told you. If you fail to help us in this mission, the Sphinx will order Bahumat to destroy all of Fablehaven. If you succeed, we'll set your friends free. Don't screw up," Navarog whispered.

I punched him in the stomach. No one seemed to notice. He glared at me as he took Nafia and walked away. I watched him go before looking back up at the balcony. Wait, where did he go? The boy was standing there just a few seconds ago.

"Are you looking for someone, Miss?"

I whirled around. There he was, standing right in front of me.

"No, I'm not," I said in surprise.

"Well then, we might as well talk a bit," he said grabbing my arm, "Come with me."

He led me up the stairs, down a hallway full of paintings, and into a room. A private library. It was humongous! There were shelves full of books that loomed over us. He closed the door behind me as I walked in.

"You already know my name. But, what may your name be?" he asked me.

"Grace. Grace Miller."

"Grace Miller, what a beautiful name," he said kissing my hand.

I forced a smile, and he smiled back.

"So, do you have any hobbies?" I asked him.

"I like paintings of herons. But, sadly I only have one on the top floor. I also like to collect things," he answered.

I smiled. "Really? What do you like to collect?" I asked him.

"I like to collect ancient objects. You know, I recently found an item, but I can't figure out what its significance is," he said.

"Interesting, do you mind showing it to me?" I asked sweetly.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I keep them hidden so no one can steal them."

"It's fine, but I have to get going back to my friends," I said as I walked to the door.

As I turned the door knob, it stopped halfway through. I tried again, but I couldn't get it open.

"I think the door is locked," I said.

"Well we can't have a thief like you get away," he said and grabbed my arm, "You see, I knew the real Grace Miller before this party. And you aren't her."

He threw me against a wall and held up what looked like a key. "Looks like you're stuck in here."

"Not for long," I murmured to myself.

I jumped up and ran into the maze of bookcases. He gave chase at the sound of my heels clicking. He was gaining on me. Stupid shoes! They were slowing me down. When he was just 15 feet away, I stopped to take off my heels. He tried to knock me over, but I wacked him in the face with the point of my heel. He howled in pain and covered his face. I took the key out of his hand and ran. There had to be something in here to break the door down. After all, it was wooden.

I ran and ran. Out of the corner of my eye, something flashed. I looked up to see a sword in a glass case on top of one of the bookcases. Unlike the others, this bookcase was empty and had no ladder. I looked up at it. This may be my only way to escape. So I grabbed onto the shelf and began climbing. When I was almost to the top, the wood in the shelf began to groan and creak. I quickly climbed to the top and opened the glass case. I pulled out the steel sword. Now all I had to do was get down.

Snap! I looked down and saw that the bottom shelf had broken under my wait. Oh no. The bookcase started to lean forward. I tried to steady myself. What do I do? The bookcase began to pick up speed as it continued to lean. Suddenly, it stopped. I let out a breath of relief. Snap! I panicked as the bookcase plummeted to the ground. In my panic, I jumped forward and hoped I'd land on something. I saw the ladder to another staircase and caught it as I crashed into it. Boom! I looked down to see the bookcase had smashed right below me and caused the bookcase I was on to wobble. I dropped down onto the fallen staircase and slid down it onto the floor. I watched as the bookcases fell into each other like dominos. I quickly ran to the exit to find Taylor waiting for me.

"You will not escape!" he yelled in fury.

By that time most of the bookcases had fallen over. I looked behind him to see a leaning bookcase.

"Look out!" I cried.

He may be a trying to stop me, but I didn't want him to die. He just smirked. He didn't believe.

"I'm not going to fall for-"

I watched as the bookcase loomed over him. I tried to motion him over to me, but it was too late. The bookcase crashed to the floor, and he was gone. I screamed in horror. But I knew that I had to get out of here. I poked a hole in the door with my sword and stuck my hand through. I unlocked the door with the key I stole and ran away as fast as I could.

Where would I go? I found the stairs and ran up. I didn't stop on the next floor or the floor after that. I just kept running. I heard screams come from downstairs, and I knew the guests had found out what happened. Finally, I reached the top floor. I walked into a hallway and walked into the first room. Inside was a desk with a giant painting of a heron behind it. Was that the painting he was talking about? I walked up to it. In the painting, the heron had spread its wings and was facing right at me. I felt like it would fly off the wall and into the room. I touched the painting, and my hand ripped through.

What? I looked through to reveal a staircase. I ripped a giant hole and walked through. The staircase was dark and had a mysterious aura. I walked up and found myself in a room full of ancient objects. They were all spread out on the floor. I tried not to step on any of them. It was amazing! There where tablets with strange script and ornate vases with pictures on them. He had objects from all time periods. They all had labels next to the artifact. In the center of the room sat a strange object that had no label. It looked like a platinum disk with three sections. It was covered with jewels. That must be the Translocator. I picked it up. I felt a sucking feeling as it recharged. I quickly ran out of the room.

"Talia! Ryan!" I called out.

No answer. I ran down the stairs and until I got to the floor above the library. How would I get around that with the Translocator? I ran down the hallway. I bumped into a man a fell to the floor.

"Grace!"

I looked up to see Navarog.

"You found it!" Nafia cried.

"Yeah, now let's get out of here. I had the craziest experience ever," I said.

"I know, we heard," Navarog said.

He took the artifact from me and grabbed the middle, while Nafia grabbed the left section. She placed my hand on the right section.

"Alright, Hazel. We're going to align the jewels. I will think of the place we want to transport to," he instructed. I nodded. "Now!"

We turned the sections to align the jewels, and in a flash, we were standing in Katrina's mansion.

"You have the Translocator!" Katrina said with surprise at our entrance.

"Yeah, Hazel found it," Navarog said letting go of the Translocator and Nafia did the same.

The Sphinx walked over to me and snatched the Translocator from my hands.

"Finally, we're just one step away from fulfilling my revenge!" he cried in triumph, "Tomorrow we'll leave for Fablehaven!"

"No! What are you going to do to them?" I cried.

"You will soon know," the Sphinx said maliciously.

"No!" I cried, "You said you wouldn't hurt them if I helped you!"

"Well, I changed my mind. It's getting late. You should get to bed," he said with fake kindness.

"I knew I shouldn't have helped you!" I cried.

I charged at him and punched him square in the face. He stumbled backwards and fell to the floor.

"You brat! Get out of here!" he cried cupping his nose with his hands.

I ran upstairs to my room and slammed the door shut. I jumped onto my bed and lay there, thinking about Fablehaven.

"I'm so sorry. I let you all you down," I whispered in despair.

I jumped in surprise as the door opened.

"I don't want to talk to you!" I snapped.

I felt a hand on my head. "Don't get down about it. They wouldn't have been able to keep you safe like we could."

I looked up to see Navarog. I smacked his hand away.

"Are you seriously asking me to join you? What have you done to protect me? You just use me to do all your dirty work! I almost died today!" I yelled at him.

He took a step back as I stood up.

"You are so horrible!" I cried.

I tried to slap him, but he caught my hand. He pulled me in so that our lips almost touched.

"You shouldn't be so reckless when you fight. You could get into trouble," he whispered.

I pushed him away. "Get out!"

He smirked and strolled out the door. I sighed with exhaustion. I walked into the bathroom to change into some sweat pants and a random shirt. When I was done, I hopped into bed and turned out the lights. I didn't even bother to wash up. I was too busy thinking about tomorrow. I couldn't stand to watch my friends get slaughtered. To forget about tomorrow, I thought about Navarog. What was his deal? Maybe he was doing this to get me to like him and join his side. That must be it. I had to admit, he was clever. I looked outside. Somewhere out there, all of Fablehaven was hanging in the balance of life and death. Hopefully, things will work out okay tomorrow.


	11. Back to Where I Began

**Back to Where I Began**

I woke up to find myself lying on the floor. Where was I?

"Hey! Get up before you get eaten, you moron!"

The same imp from before hopped over to me and kicked my head.

"Okay, I'm coming! What happened here?" I asked.

I looked around to see a giant hole in the wall next to me. I took a step forward and tripped over something. A toilet. It took me a moment before I realized where I was. I was in the house at Fablehaven. This was the bathroom where Bahumat attacked me.

"Come on! In you go!" the imp yelled impatiently.

He stood by the secret stairs. I quickly ran up the stairs with the imp hopping behind me. As I reached the top, I heard a roar right outside. That couldn't be Bahumat. I searched the room for a place to hide. The room was empty, except for a few pieces of furniture. I dove behind a couch in the far corner as the creature crashed through the wall. I huddled in fear as it scanned the room. I turned around to see a chest. I crawled over to it silently. Right as I was about to open the box, my shoe got stuck on a loose nail and I collapsed to the floor. My breathing quickened and my heart pounded. Suddenly, I felt a strong breeze blow over my back. I looked up to see a flash of blue zoom at me. I didn't even have time to scream before it swallowed me whole.

I sat up slowly this time. I didn't want another bruise on my forehead. I was in my bed and thankfully, not a car. On the edge of my bed sat what I was guessing was my outfit for the today. Obviously Katrina picked it out. It was a navy blue strapless top with a white bow around the middle. Beside that was a pair of white shorts. I picked them up and changed.

As I walked out the door, I heard yelling.

"Don't you ever say that again! Do you know how long I waited for my chance of revenge?" That was probably the Sphinx.

"No I don't! I don't think you've been waiting long at all. It's only been a year!" I guessed that was Navarog.

"You disgust me! I reincarnated you from the blood on your sword! And this is how you repay me?" the Sphinx raged.

There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly, Navarog spoke up, "Fine. We are both working for the same thing."

The Sphinx just laughed. He stopped as I walked down the stairs.

"So, you decided to come after all," the Sphinx said.

"I want to see them one more time before…." My voice trailed off.

I didn't want to think of them dying at the hands of them. Nafia ran up to us and she grabbed the right side. I took the left, and the Sphinx took the middle. It looked like Navarog was flying there. Just then, Katrina ran out.

"Good luck, all of you!" she cried as we twisted the jewels.

A flash of light emitted from the Translocator and we appeared by the hidden pond with the naiads. The time has come. I'm back at Fablehaven. Back to where I began.

"Oh look she's back! It looks like she joined with the demons. I knew she would never be a hero," one of the naiads said.

There was a chorus of laughs like tinkling bells that followed. I clenched my fist as we walked to the yard. I wished I could call out to them and warn them that the Sphinx and a dragon were in on the preserve. We walked for several minutes before we reached the edge of the yard.

I gasped. Kendra and Warren were chatting by the birdbath while Seth and Hugo were playing catch with a baseball. Where was Bahumat? Suddenly, Kendra looked at us and screamed. Warren stood up and guarded Kendra with his body while Hug picked up Seth and carried him to the porch. Stan and Ruth ran outside just moments later.

"What have you done to Bahumat?" the Sphinx asked with silent rage.

There was silence among them.

"I killed him with Vasilis," Seth boasted.

"Brave child. You may have killed Bahumat, but how will you stand against us?" the Sphinx nodded towards Nafia and Navarog.

They slowly walked through the barrier. How did they do that? They must be really strong to break through all the magic that kept the yard safe. The Sphinx pushed me in too. I tried to run into Kendra's arms, but the Sphinx grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"What do you want with us?" Ruth yelled at him.

"Oh, I don't really care what happens to you. I just want revenge that's all," the Sphinx said harshly, "And I think I'll start by killing her."

He threw me to the ground and I felt a foot on my back. Suddenly, I hand pulled me up by the hair and turned my head around. It was Nafia. In her free hand, she carried a midnight blue sword with a black handle. She rested the weapon on my shoulder and pressed it against my neck. She held it there for a moment as blood trickled down my neck. Then, she slowly raised it up to position herself to strike. I closed my eyes and waited for the end. I never should have helped them get the Translocator. I was so stupid!

"Goodbye, everyone," I whispered.

I shed a tear as Nafia swung the deathblow.


	12. A Dream Come True

**A Dream Come True**

Clang!

My face relaxed and I opened my eyes. A black sword crossed with Nafia's blue sword, and I watched as Navarog pushed Nafia's sword away. She lost interest in me and turned to face Navarog, who stepped in between her and I. He glared at her, his dark brown eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to kill them!" Nafia cried.

"You can do whatever you like to the rest of the world. But you can't lay a finger on Hazel or her friends," he defied.

Nafia's expression darkened with fury.

"You're a traitor!"

I watched as her fair skin and long, luxurious hair morphed into blue scales and horns. She reared back on her two hind legs and let out a jet of blue flame. She roared and charged at Navarog. He nimbly dodged her, and she trampled right past him. He threw back his head and let out a loud battle cry. At first it sounded human, but slowly, it deepened and a burst of golden fire erupted from his giant maw.

I jumped out of the way as Nafia once again charged him. I dashed over to Kendra, Seth, and everyone else who were huddled under the canopy over the porch.

"Hazel! I can't believe you're alive!" Kendra cried as her eyes began to water.

"I know!" I said to them.

I looked at them. Their clothes and hair were soiled with dirt, and their nails were caked with blood. Various cuts and wounds adorned their body.

"You look horrible. Did Bahumat do this to you?" I asked.

Kendra nodded.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt you little reunion, but there are two dragons fighting right above us," Seth said.

I ran outside to see the Navarog and Nafia flying after each other. Occasionally, they would clash with one another. Their necks entwined as they tried to bite each other. Suddenly, Nafia pulled back and dug her claws into the underside of Navarog's belly. Blood flew through the air, and he screeched in pain. Lifting his spiked tail, he wacked her in the jaw. She hissed at him as blood dripped from the fresh cut on her chin. Suddenly, she opened her enormous mouth and pulled back her lips to reveal a snarl. Changing tactics, she flew higher into the air to gain more altitude. My brow wrinkled in confusion. What was she doing? She stopped and let herself hang in midair. Navarog just looked up at her. Silence filled the preserve.

All of a sudden, she tipped downwards and dove towards Navarog. She let out a furious roar and blue flame shot out of her open mouth. Before he could react, Navarog was tackled by Nafia and they tumbled to the ground in a ball of blue and black. I ran to the house as they crashed to the ground in the middle of the yard. I jumped onto the porch for safety.

"We have to do something! Navarog is going to lose, and Nafia will definitely kill us all!" I warned the others.

"Are you crazy?" Ruth cried, "I don't want you to die to a dragon! What would your parents say?"

"And even if you tried to help, what good would you do? There is no way to help!" Stan said, "Unless you had a trick up your sleeve, like a secret weapon! But we don't have anything! We have to go and hide somewhere!"

I replayed what he just said.

_We have to go and hide somewhere!_

The secret room!

"I'll be right back!" I said.

I looked back to see Navarog holding Nafia's tail in between his teeth as she struggled to get me. I ran into the house and slammed the door behind me. Suddenly, I heard a boom and I knew Nafia must have gotten free from Navarog's grasp. I dashed through the house until I arrived in one room. The bathroom. I threw the cabinet door open and there was the hidden door. I turned the combination lock to the right, left, and then right again. Click! The door swung open. I was so glad I paid attention to that imp. Suddenly, there was a deafening roar and the floor trembled beneath me.

Suddenly, I realized what was going on, and I dove forward and skidded to the floor right as a giant tail poked through the wall to the right. It searched around before it went back outside. I looked up to see a giant hole. I sighed with relief and ran up the stairs. When I reached the top, I gasped. The room had nothing in it, with the exception of a few pieces of furniture. I examined the room, trying to find what I had come looking for. Suddenly, a loud roar came from right outside. I saw the couch and behind it was the chest. I quickly opened it.

Inside was a bow and three arrows with fire-red feathers. Yes! Just what I need. Crash! I tensed up as the window right next to me shattered. That must be Nafia. I could hear her heavy breathing, and I could tell that she had fought hard against Navarog. I listened as her breath traveled closer to me. I scooted closer to the box so she wouldn't see me from the other side of the couch. Bang! I fell against the chest. I cursed. It was that nail. Blood trailed down my leg from the gash in my leg. Nafia slowly moved her head over to me. She gazed at me with her two big eyes. My heart raced as she got closer. She grunted and her lips curled upwards into what looked like a smile. I felt the temperature begin to rise as she opened her mouth wide. I tried to move away and I only succeeded in falling over again. The heat increased and a little flame started to form at the top of her throat. I prepared for the worst.

I opened my mouth and my throat was hoarse. I could barely let out a sound. I could only whisper one word.

"Na-Navarog."


	13. Farewells

**Farewells**

I rolled out of the way just as the jet of flame passed me. My skin felt like it shriveled up. My hands were grasped tightly around the bow and arrows. I quickly got up and vaulted over the couch. Nafia roared in frustration and turned her head to snap at me. Without thinking I crashed through the window that she had already broken through. The wind whistled in my ears as I plummeted down to the ground.

Crack! I hit the ground hard. I screamed in pain as I tried to get up. My leg felt like it had branded by the sun! It throbbed with pain as I carefully got up. Roar! I looked up as Nafia pulled her head out of the window and flew down towards me. I dove out of the way as she flew by. Suddenly, she turned around quickly and tried again to get me. I dodged her again but this time I managed to plunge one of my arrows into her eye. She screeched as blood squirted out of her wound. She quickly snatched me up and flew away. I shimmied out of her claws and landed on the roof of the house. Before I could slide off of it, I grabbed a tile and began to climb up to the very top. I had a hard time balancing due to the steeple type of roof. Nafia slammed down on top of the roof and roared defiantly. I stretched my arms out for balance as the roof trembled under her weight. I held up my bow and knocked an arrow. Before she could let loose another blast of flame, I released the arrow and it soared through the air. Nafia growled with rage as the arrow planted into her snout. With one mighty flick of her tail, she sent me flying off the roof.

I landed hard on my back. When I breathed in, no air went in. I gasped for air like a fish out of water. My vision was hazy and I searched around for Nafia. There she was, the giant blue blur heading right for me. I tried to get up. I couldn't. All I could do was one last thing. I knocked my remaining arrow on the string and aimed right for the blue blur which was almost upon me. I had to do this.

"I can do it…I can do it…I can…can do," I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, the feathers on the arrow burst into flame. I jumped in surprise but realized that it was probably enchanted. I let go of the string. I didn't hear any cry of pain and I knew it must have missed. I cursed. But, I stared up at her with a small smile on my face. The last thing I could do before I die was at least smile look like I wasn't afraid. Nafia opened her mouth and I felt the heat. But when she reached me, she kept flying and flew right over me. She crashed to the ground, and the ground shook. I rolled over to look at what happened.

Nafia was back to her human form. Blood soaked her clothes. She lie sprawled on the ground, her chest rising and falling in panicked breaths. I crawled over to her and gasped. An arrow protruded from her neck and the tip came out on the other side. It was soaked in blood. She looked at me with pleading eyes. I almost felt sorry for her.

"Rest in peace, Nafia," I said.

Her chest stopped moving, and her body relaxed. I put my fingers on her eyelids and closed her eyes.

"And good riddance."

I looked back to see Navarog who was leaning on Kendra for support. He smiled at me. I smiled back.

"You did it, Hazel!" Kendra cried.

I smiled even bigger. "Yeah."

"Let's go, Gavin," Kendra said.

"Gavin?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's my human name," Navarog explained.

"Alright, Gavin, I'll be behind the house if you need me," I said.

Kendra led him to the porch. I limped over to the other side of the house. There was no one there. Good. I leaned against the wall and sighed. I'd get my leg looked at later. Right now, I just wanted to relax. I sat there for a few minutes. I thought about Nafia and how she died. It was just luck. I wasn't even that good at using a bow and arrows. I rubbed my leg. It was a close one for sure. A twig snapped from somewhere to my right. I jumped and looked to see what it was.

"Why are you here alone?" Gavin asked me.

I shrugged, "I don't feel like celebrating. To be honest, I feel a little guilty. I just killed someone."

He limped over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You just slayed a dragon. And besides, she was going to kill you," he said.

"I know, but I'll still feel like I committed a crime."

He chuckled. "Don't worry you'll feel better soon."

He pulled me in and kissed me. My body flooded with warmth. He rested his hand on my cheek and the warmth intensified. I stood there for a few seconds until I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled my head away.

"You feel better?" he asked.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I tried again.

"Nav- I mean, Gavin, I-" I couldn't speak.

"Right, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he said as his smile faded. He began to limp away.

"No wait! I don't mind, it's just that it was a little sudden," I blurted out.

He turned to face me.

"Well, come with me to the porch then," he said, changing the subject.

I followed him out from behind the house where everyone was waiting.

"Congratulations, Hazel!" they all cried in unison.

"Hazel, I'll fix up your leg after everything has been settled," Ruth said to me. Turning to everyone else she said, "Everyone, we have some business to attend to in the dungeon. You too, Navarog."

We all walked into the house and to the dungeon. As we walked through the corridors, I tried to block out the creepy noises and voices. Finally, we stopped in front of a door. Stan stepped up front and brought Gavin with him.

"Navarog, we all want to thank you for helping us today. But, as caretaker of Fablehaven, I cannot ignore that you kidnapped Hazel and destroyed part of the house. So, in order to prevent this from happening again, you will be put in the Quiet Box," he ordered.

"What? No!" Kendra protested, "Grandpa, he helped defeat Nafia and saved Fablehaven! You can't put him in the Quiet Box!"

I was surprised at Kendra's sudden interest in Gavin. I limped over to stand next to Kendra.

"Yeah! He saved us all!" I defended. I remembered back to when Stan explained to me what the Quiet Box was. I didn't want Gavin to go in there.

Kendra looked at me with a smile on her face.

"That is true, but he still needs to be punished for what he did in the past," Stan argued calmly.

Before Kendra could say anything, Gavin limped towards her.

"Don't worry about me, Kendra. I know what I did and I must be punished. As for you, Hazel, I hope you don't get to sad that I'm gone," Gavin said.

I punched his arm with a smile. "You know I'll miss you."

He limped towards the Quiet Box. Stan looked at us.

"Kendra, Hazel, I let him come out once a week, but that's it," Stan sighed.

"Thank you, Stan!" I said.

He grunted. I knew he disliked the idea of having the Demon Prince as our friend.

Gavin stepped into the Quiet Box. "I'll miss you two," he said as the door closed.

I waved to him and smiled. The Quiet Box suddenly turned over, to reveal another door. Everyone walked away, except for me. I hopped towards it. Resting my hand on the door, I knew that he was in there somewhere.

"Good bye, Navarog," I said and limped away.

NOTICES

Heyo! Sorry it took so long to post this last chapter. I was really busy with school and sports and music. This is, unfortunately, the end! So, I know some people weren't very happy with the way this story was going. So, that's why, I might write a sequel! Please, please, please, write a review saying whether you liked the story and want a sequel or you didn't like it that much and don't want a sequel. Please don't write anything negative. If you didn't like it, then just say so without saying anything hateful. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed! XD


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